Packaging reel



Jan. 30, 1945. w. H. HAWKINS PACKAGING REEL Fild Sept. 12, 1942 INVENTOR BY Wm ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 30, 1945 William H. Hawkins, Stamford, Coma, assignor to Freydberg Bros-Strauss, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Applicationiseptember 12, 1942,,Serial No. 458,093

12 Claims;

This invention relates to. packaging reels, and. more particularly; to reels of the type nowused in packaging and merchandisingrelatively short lengths of ribbons. It is obvious that reels of the particular class must be attractive, must be capable of being readily assembled and to. have the ribbon applied thereto with facility, and must be very inexpensive. -It is the. object of my invention to contribute to the art. a reel of the class indicated, and having. the particular merits listed.

The reel of my invention is of that class having a central portion on which the ribbon is actually wound, with. flanges at each. side of. the central portion confining the ribbon therebetween. As a feature of my invention, 1. form the central portion of my reel separate from. the

flanges thereof, a further feature of my invention residing in the new andnovelmeans utilized. by me' for assembling the flanges to the central portion of the reel- As a further feature of my invention I form the central portion of my reel of an inexpensive, collapsible, box-like member about which the ribbon is wound, it being a particular feature of my contributionv to the art that the rib-bon itself preferably maintains the collapsible, box-like member against collapsing, so that. it may form the central portion of. my reel.

Still a further featureofmy invention resides in the use of openings in certain surfaces of the central portion of. my reel; and through which the said central portion may be rotated to Wind the ribbon thereon, the openings being of such form that they may thereafter be utilized for assembling the flanges thereto. This dual function of the openings is extremely" important in this highly developed art in which it is so very necessary to simplify structures in order that the finished product maybe very inexpensive.

I have thus described generally the several features of my invention in order that the natureof' my contribution to the art may be better appreciated. Actually, those skilled in the art will readily conceive Various structures whereby the conception on which my contribution isbased may be utilized, and it is therefore important that the patent claims to be granted me shall be sufliciently broad to protect me in the enjoyment of my invention.

Referring now more particularly to thedrawing, Fig. i is a perspective view of a collapsible tion of my reel.

Fig. 2 illustrates the manner'in which the cen- 6'5- tral member isrotated to wind ribbon thereon.

Fig. 3 is, an exploded; view showing the man ner in which a flange is assembled. to the central member after the ribbon has beenv wound there- Fig. 4 is a vertical section through the finished reel showing'the ribbon wound thereon.

Fig. 5. is a. horizontal section through the central member taken in the plane of one of the openings thereof.

- Referring now more particularly to the drawing and especially Fig. 1, the central member constituting the central portion of my reel is designated generally by. reference numeral Ill. This central memberis preferably formed of a single piece of some materialsuch as cardboard, and may be assembled into the rectangular box-like form illustrated, with surface portion II and a portion I2 in overlapping relationship whereby to strengthen the resulting box. Preferably, end

flaps 13 extend at each end of the, box and are.

adapted to bebent over as illustrated in Fig. 1 so that the ribbon may be Wound thereon.

In describing my invention, I shall use reference numeral [-5- to designate theside surfaces of the box-like central member l0, and I shall term the surface H and the equivalent surface on the other side of the box-like. member l0, spacer surfaces, because they actto space the two side surfaces [5 from onezanother. are. extensions-of the surfaces II. The side surfaces I-5: are formed with openings l6 having enlarging: slots: H for a purpose to be indicated presently.

Referring now to Figure 2, I illustrate the manner iniwhich. a series of central members II] are applied; to a winding mechanism for winding ribbon thereon. The ribbon, which is designated by reference numeral it, maybe unwound from a series of supply reels (not shown) and wound The several members iii are; applied to parallel winding pins l8 by the" passing of the winding pins 1:91 through the openings I6 of the side surfaces, l5.l The winding. pins [9 are adapted to rotate. with a shaft 2!] driven' by a pulley 2| and a belt 2.2, it being. obvious that the series of central. members 1:0 will be rotated by the pins and the ribbon. Wound thereon.

In Fig; 3, a length of ribbon [Bis shown wound on a centralmember H], the ribbon held in place by a short piece of pressure adhesive tape 26 that is applied most conveniently before the flanges are assembled to the member ID. O'ne flange 23 is shownin" Fig. 3 alreadyapplied to one of the side surfaces It, while a secondflange 23 is shown ready for application to the other side surfacel5. ,This second flange 23 has extending therefrom a pair of tabs 24 each formed with a T head 25, the tabs being preferably cut from the body of flange 23. It is quite obvious to those skilled in the art that if the T heads 25 of the tabs 24 are inserted through the enlarging slots ll of the openings [6 into the hollow of the central box-like member H) as illustrated in Fig. 4. the tabs 24 will thereafter be held against move ment outwardly of the openings l6 by the relatively constricted nature of the openings [6. In other words, the tabs 24 have a bayonet joint relationship to the openings l6 and slots ll, so that by proper manipulation relatively to the said openings 16, the tabs 24 through the T heads 25 are adapted to prevent separation of the flanges 23 from the central member l during normal and usual handling of the finished reel. 'Of course, by proper manipulation, opposite to that used in applying the flanges, they may be removed.

It may be well to indicate that when the ribbon I8 is wound on the collapsible central boxlike member [0, it is not only assembled to the central member, but also holds the central boxlike member in its box-like form illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3, and against collapse. As will be quite apparent also, the central member Ill may take various forms, and the side surfaces I5 and spacer surfaces Il may have varying configurations. It will also be quite apparent that the positions of the openings l6 and the tabs 24 cooperable therewith may be reversed, and the tabs and openings may assume different shapes as may be required due to changes in material or otherwise. It will also be quite apparent that because my flanges are assembled after the ribbon winding operation, that winding operation is facilitated, and it is also possible to'secure with greater. ease the end of the length of ribbon through the pressure adhesive tape 26.

I believe that the operation of my invention and its desirable features will now be quite apparent to those skilled in the art. I i I now claim: 1 1. In a ribbon reel of the class described, a

central box-like member on which ribbon may be wound, opposite side surfaces for said box-like member having openings displaced from their having openings displaced fromtheir center through which may be insertedwinding pins for.

rotating said central member .to .wind ribbon thereon, finishing flanges for said reel adapted for application to said side surfaces, and tabs formed on said flanges for entry into said openings to secure said flanges tosaid member.

3. In a ribbon reel of the class described, a

faces, and tabs formed on said flanges for entry into said openings to secure said flanges to said central member.

4. In a ribbon reel of the class described, a

central member having opposed side surfaces between which is a spacer on which ribbon is adapted to be wound, finishing flanges for said reel adapted for application to said side surfaces after ribbon is wound on said spacer, and cooperative interlocking portions on each of said finishing flanges and side surfaces, said portions interlocking upon movement relatively to one another into assembled relation whereby to secure said flanges to said central member.

5. In a ribbon reel of the class described, a.

and side surfaces formed so as to cooperate with one another in the manner of a bayonet joint whereby readily to secure said flanges to said central member.

6. In a ribbon reel of the'class described a central box-like member on which ribbon may be wound, opposite side surfaces for said box-like member having openings displaced from their center, finishing flanges for said reel adapted for application to said side surfaces, and tabs formed on said flanges for entry into said openings to secure said flanges to said box-like member.

7. In a ribbon reel of theclass described, a central member having opposed side surfaces between which is a spacer on which ribbon is adapted to be wound, said opposed side surfaces having each a pair of opposed openings, each of said openings having a wide portion and a constricted portion, finishing flanges for said reel having tabs of such shape as to enter said openings thru the wide portions thereof, and thereafter to .be held by said constricted portions against movement out of said openings.

8 In a ribbon reel of the class described, a central member having opposed side surfaces between which is a spacer on which ribbon is adapted to be wound, said opposed side surfaces having each a pair of opposed openings, each of said openings having a wide'portion and a constricted portion, finishing flanges for said reel having tabs of such shape as to enter said openings thru the wide portions thereof, after which the movement of said tabs positions them so that they are retained by said constricted portions against movement out of said openings.

9. In a ribbon reel of the'class described, a central member on which said ribbon is wound, opposed side surfacesfor said central member, finishing flanges adapted for application to each of--said side surfaces, the said finishing flanges and side surfaces having cooperating tabs and openings formed thereon and with the tabs entering the openings to hold the flanges assembled to the side surfaces.

10. In a ribbon reel of the class described, a central member on which said ribbon is wound, opposed side surfaces 'for said central member, finishing flanges adapted for application to each of said side surfaces, the said finishing flanges and side surfaces having cooperating'tabs and openings formed thereon and with the tabs entering the openings to hold the flanges assembled to the side surfaces, said tabs and openings being shaped for cooperation and assembly in the manner of a bayonet joint.

11. In a ribbon reel of the class described, a central member on which said ribbon is wound, opposed side surfaces for said central member.

finishing flanges adapted for application to each of said side surfaces, tabs formed as integral parts of said finishing flanges through the cutting of said tabs from said flanges, said tabs being movable out of the plane of said finishin flanges as by flexing and into openings formed in said surfaces, the tabs when flexed inwardly of said openings holding said finishing flanges attached to said central member.

12. In a ribbon reel of the class described, a central member on which said ribbon is wound,

opposed side surfaces for said central member:

finishing flanges adapted-for application to each I of said side surfaces, headed tabs formed as integral parts of said finishing flanges'through the cutting of said tabs from said flanges, said tabs being movable out of the plane of said finishing flanges as by flexing and into openings formed in said surfaces, said openings having an enlarged portion for the entrance of the heads of said tabs and a restricted portion for cooperation with said tabs after the heads of said tabs are in said openings,- whereby to hold said finishing flanges attached to said central member.

WILLIAM H. HAWKINS. 

